Wildflowers
by BookwormGamer
Summary: Raven has known life to be survival in a harsh reality. Rebecca seems to think otherwise, though. To him, she is a wildflower blooming amidst conflict. RebeccaxRaven oneshot.


That Sainwas actually written two days ago and just put up today. This Christmas request was done for Sniper on Legend of the Emblem, a RebeccaxRaven one-shot.

I will take requests for FE games 6 through 9 (and the first generation of FE4), by the way. Just don't be expecting them done soon with everything I have to do for everyone else.

**Wildflowers**

"Come on!" Rebecca shouted to Raven, Lucius, and Oswin. "Hurry up!" Mark had sent them off in this important battle with Legault as well, but he and Rebecca were ahead of the others. They couldn't afford to lag behind in this fight to the Dragon's Gate the second time, but the landscape affected the three more than the other two.

"Hold on," Oswin panted. "I can't move so easily…watch out! Pegasi and bishops are up ahead!" Looking up, Rebecca readied her bow, aiming at one of the winged mounts. She notched an arrow, took brief aim, and fired, shooting it down. The three in the back ran increasingly faster to catch up.

Raven watched as Rebecca shot down enemies. She did mean it when her bow shot straighter ever since he fixed it for her, and it didn't only make a difference for the deer she hunted down for both of them to eat. As he drew his blade, Raven wondered what drove her to fighting. He had never learned the answer, Raven realized, as he killed the enemy forces.

"Our job, it was to secure the northern temple up here, wasn't it?" Raven asked. Rebecca nodded. "Well, we're here…we'll know if to continue on or if the rest have failed fighting the larger forces if we get the flare. Remember, the procedure is to leave immediately and run back to Fargus if we go without a day with the flare."

Rebecca shook her head. It was always business, doing his job, as a perfect mercenary, and nothing else with him. "Rebecca, watch out!" She turned around, bow in hand, to see a bishop step out of the temple. "Shoot him."

"I am not with the enemy," he merely stated. "My name is Renault."

"What are you waiting for, Rebecca? Shoot him."

"He's just on a pilgrimage, Raven…" Rebecca argued. "We can't do that…he hasn't attacked us. There's no reason to hurt him. Right, Sir Oswin?"

"Leave it to the judgment of lords Hector, Eliwood, and Lyn," Oswin suggested. "For now, he can stay with us. Rebecca, Raven, you two have first watch." Lucius decided to enter the temple as well, curious about this bishop. For almost an hour Raven and Rebecca sat there in silence, not looking at each other.

"Raven, why did you want to kill him?" Rebecca quietly asked, breaking the silence. "You can't just kill everyone that seems to be on the enemy side. I thought you started fighting against us, too."

"Well, that was your choice to trust me, but I don't let my guard slip," Raven answered. "I don't trust this bishop who happened to be at the area we were supposed to capture. This is a life or death matter, now. We win or lose, at a point where one slip means our deaths."

"Is that how you live?" Rebecca asked. "Thinking everyone's going to turn on you in your sleep."

"Hmph, I live to survive in the real world and go for what I want. There's nothing more to it," Raven replied. "You're just a child, aren't you? The world isn't made up of right and wrong. Grow up. Not everything ends in happiness."

"You think I don't know that?" Rebecca's usually calm and light voice was growing more emotional, in a saddening way. "I've gone through this whole journey…to try finding my brother…he's been gone for five years, and I think he's probably forgotten about me. I've never heard anything about him…I was hoping to find him, and he's still not here! I bet he doesn't care about me anymore…"

"…he cares," Raven told her. "He's your brother. Family's important to everyone. Keep thinking about him, and keep going. Family is a good reason to live, to survive. I understand…" He was thinking about how he used to be driven for a false revenge for his family.

"So family just keeps you alive?" Rebecca sighed. "That's all the world is about to you, isn't it? Making a living. What about living because you want to, because you like the world and cooperate with it, not go against what you think it's like?" She had an idea. "Here, come with me." Raven followed her a short distance and bent down like she was doing.

"See? Look at these wildflowers…this island's being used for Nergal's purposes, and there's fighting going on, but these flowers grow the same beautifully. And there's people like me who care about the flowers, want to keep them going on. They may get trampled on, but they keep going on how they want to. You don't see the flowers turning into steel so they'll never break…they stay beautiful." Rebecca, feeling embarrassed about her speech, walked off again.

Raven stayed there, picking up one of the flowers. He twirled it around in his fingers. "You're a wildflower, too, Rebecca," he muttered. "Still living like this, during all this conflict, not wanting to change, always keeping on a cheery attitude…I've never seen you this serious about anything before. But it's good that you want to stay as a child…"

Two days later, they were sailing back to the mainland of Elibe. Raven and Rebecca had seen Athos die, Nils leave, Ninian stay with Eliwood, and the dragons being pushed back. As he walked outside for the night's fresh air, Raven saw Rebecca outside, staring into the sea.

"Oh, hi there, Raven," Rebecca greeted. She was still unsure what to think of Raven now. "Why'd you come out here?"

"I like the night air," Raven responded. "It's…nice." He walked over. "The stars, too…"

"So what happened to the world being filled with no one you could trust?" Rebecca wondered.

"I think you're right, about how to go through life," Raven answered. "Even though I still think your way isn't the only, or the best…it's a nice way, though." They stayed silent for a while before again, Rebecca broke it.

"So…what are you planning on doing?" Rebecca asked. "When we get back to Elibe, now that this is over?"

"I don't know," Raven answered. "Probably continue on as a mercenary; maybe help Lucius with his plans."

"Oh…I want to head back to my village, and maybe continue serving Eliwood," Rebecca informed him.

"I see." Talkative, wasn't he?

"Maybe…maybe you'd like to help Eliwood, also?" Rebecca suggested. "Work for him?"

"Perhaps."

"Um…would you have a place to stay?" Rebecca questioned.

"Not really."

"How about…in my village?" Rebecca recommended. "Maybe…maybe we could start over again. With more peace, so that we'd become friends?" Raven thought about it for a while, the only noise as they waited for his decision being the ocean. He looked up into the stars, knowing that he had just said he liked the stars just so he could apologize to Rebecca with her having a more positive attitude. They were rather nice, though. Before tonight, he had never truly noticed them.

"…I would like that."

A year later, as the two were traveling back from Eliwood's coronation, Rebecca urged him forward. "Come on, I want to get back home before sunrise tomorrow!"

"You don't want to sleep?" Raven sighed as he caught up. "Everyone needs their rest…"

"Alright, fine." Rebecca and Raven would stay there in the woods for the night, having become used to it since the journey a year ago. Raven thought about the past year. He had been living with Rebecca and her family. The year had been a peaceful one in Lycia, so they usually did not carry out missions for Pherae and instead, took walks with each other.

For the past year, Raven had realized how beautiful Rebecca was, the more relaxed he become. How sweet her smile was, and how gentle her personality was. Some would argue that he needed to know her more, but Raven wouldn't have any of that. She had changed him and even become a part of him.

"Rebecca…"

"What is it, Raven?"

"Would you…do you…I…ah…"

"Raven…are you trying to tell me…" Raven had become a kind companion over the past year. He knew more about her know, actually, then her father or Wil…they were so close to each other. Rebecca couldn't believe that they had shared with each other feelings they kept from everyone else. "Do you…love me?" Raven took out of his pack a bowl.

"I had Pent preserve this in a bowl of water that would never spill. As long as it is never removed, it won't perish, but it's time…" Raven took out a wildflower. "For you…whether you love me back or not." Rebecca embraced him.

"I love you…but we can't marry already. We're not ready," Rebecca told him. "Soon, though…" She took the wildflower. "Soon…" Raven smiled, noticing that there were many more flowers blooming in the forest. They were all special in their own way, but not as wondrous as the one they held in their hands together right now.


End file.
